Melbourne Businessman Denies Covert Chinese Communist Party Influence in Landmark Foreign Interference Trial
Melbourne businessman, Di Sanh Duong, who is currently on trial in Australia for preparing or planning an act of foreign interference, has denied allegations that a donation he made to a hospital was a covert attempt to curry favor on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party. Duong, a Vietnam-born community leader, pleaded not guilty in the Victoria state County Court and faces a potential 10-year prison sentence if convicted.
The accusation revolves around a donation of 37,450 Australian dollars that Duong handed to then-Cabinet Minister Alan Tudge as a contribution towards the Royal Melbourne Hospital’s pandemic response. Defense lawyer Peter Chadwick vehemently denied the allegations, stating that Duong strongly refutes any suggestion that he tried to influence Tudge with the donation. Chadwick also denied any recruitment or collaboration between Duong and the Chinese Communist Party, asserting that Duong and other members of the Chinese community wanted to challenge unfair perceptions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prosecutors, however, presented the court with claims that Duong had secret ties to global initiatives aimed at advancing the interests of the Chinese Communist Party. They emphasized that the case was not about espionage but rather about subtle interference and influence.
The trial will continue next week as both sides present their case. It is a landmark case under Australia’s foreign interference laws, which were introduced in 2018 to combat covert foreign interference in domestic politics and industrial espionage.
Duong’s trial has broader implications for bilateral relations between Australia and China, with the laws offending China, Australia’s most significant trading partner, and further straining their already deteriorating relationship. The trial also sheds light on the challenges faced by the Chinese community in Melbourne during the pandemic, where the fear of COVID-19 has created adverse perceptions.
As the trial unfolds, it remains to be seen how the court will assess the evidence and determine whether Duong’s actions were a genuine donation or an attempt to exert foreign influence. The outcome of this trial could have significant implications for future cases of foreign interference as well as the relationship between Australia and China.
